You Me & Iowa – The Adventures of You Me & Iowa

You Me & Iowa
The Adventures of You Me & Iowa

I haven’t been too impressed with the world of so called “independent” music these days. Its become a fashion, and I don’t mean to sound like a total grouch about it, but it’s true and is truly loosing its edge. That’s not to say there aren’t exceptions; case in point, You Me & Iowa. Their newest album The Adventures of You Me & Iowa takes all of the best elements of rock, indie, and pop music and blends them into something wholly accessible, yet undeniably smart and rewarding. I may be speaking too soon, but this just might be a near perfect pop/rock album, and one of the best albums I’ve heard this year.

This “space-viking” concept album probably automatically screams Coheed and Cambria to most and when you open the liner notes, you even get a mini graphic novel that would further echo this. It shouldn’t fool you or make you cry “rip-off” because You Me & Iowa are purely using it in its own quirky way. You’ll get the picture when you check it out. Now, on to the album itself. The album opens with “Dress the Stage”. This track really has an epic quality for some reason and it only clocks in at 3:33. Maybe it’s the lyrics that open the story or the music that really sells this, but it really gives the audience a sense of what they’re about to get into. It ends abruptly, but it opens the album well and leads into the next song beautifully.

“The Song Entire” is more briskly paced, and has a bouncy quality to it. The little breakdown is subtle and nonetheless effective. “Tommy Hall’s” intro riff between the bass and keyboard is light hearted and addictive. It’s a mid-tempo tune with a simple and catchy chorus adding to what is a simple pop song with heart. “Goldfish” almost picks up where “The Song Entire” left off, and it’s even faster paced. This time, during the verse’s and pre-chorus, I picked up little Television-esque riffs and hooks. You can tell, with the breakdowns especially, that a lot of thought was put into this song. The trumpet is a nice touch.

“Margaret Mourning” starts off very refreshingly with a heavily prog influenced intro riff from the keyboards and guitars. It begins extremely promising, but slows down when it gets into the meat of the song and feels all too short. That minor aside, it’s still a great song. “Valhalla” is another slightly prog influenced song that continues the modestly brisk pace of the record, and again is shorter than I would have liked it. “Perpendicularly Speaking” has a big chorus, and the breakdown that follows is wholly engaging. Though it is simple and dances a little bit, it’s fun to listen to. “Make Your Home (Smell Delicious)” is an awkward way to end the album. It feels like a song that could have come a little earlier in the lineup. Then, the chorus sets in and it’s a slightly trippy affair that follows yet another prog, pseudo-ska influenced verse. To me this was the weakest song on the record, but it rounds out the bands sound perfectly.

Besides the fact that this record feels a little too short, it is engaging all the way through. It’s catchy and full of heart and maturity. Go listen now!